Spring Break
by proantagonist
Summary: Upset over something she won't talk about, Aria decides to take an impromptu road trip during Spring Break - and drag her English teacher with her.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary**: Upset over something she won't talk about, Aria decides to take an impromptu road trip during Spring Break - and drag her English teacher with her.

**Time Period:** AU. This was written before the finale aired, and those particular events will not take place in this story.

**Spring Break**

_Chapter One - Friday Afternoon  
_

Ezra glances up at the girl standing in his classroom doorway. Only his eyes move, and though the rest of him feels like pushing back his chair and marching right up to her, he forces himself to stay seated.

"Miss Montgomery," he says. The formal name feels strange on his tongue, and there's a small part of him that hopes it hurts her to hear it the same way it hurts him to say it. "Can I help you with something?"

It's difficult to keep his emotions out of his voice, but he manages. He's had plenty of practice acting formal with Aria when his mind is in a completely different place. Even now, a full month after she broke up with him - with no warning or satisfactory explanation - it's a struggle not to let his feelings for her get in the way of everything else. Letting her go is one of the hardest things he's ever done, but what other choice did he have? He loves her too much to pressure her to be with him when she's made it clear their student-teacher relationship makes her uncomfortable.

Then again, it would be easier if he believed her explanation. Which he doesn't.

Aria approaches and slaps her most recent essay down on the desk in front of him. "What is this?"

Ezra's eyes shift to the essay, which bears a B-minus grade on the top, then back up at Aria. She's practically shimmering with anger - pink-cheeked, lips pursed, and that all too familiar stubborn set of her chin. Ezra clears his throat before speaking, but it does nothing to dispel the lump wedged there. "That's your book report, if I'm not mistaken," he says. "You, um, did a good job on it."

"I know I did," she snaps, putting one hand on her hip and glaring down at him. His eyes shift briefly to the outline of her hipbone beneath the thin fabric of her dress, but her words quickly draw his attention elsewhere. "So why did I get such a bad grade on it? And before you think I'm pulling a Noel Kahn and trying to blackmail you into giving me something I don't deserve, think again. We both know I earned a better grade than that."

Ezra swallows and picks up the report. As he thumbs to the second page, he finds himself fighting a smile. It's the most she's said to him in the entire month since she broke up with him, and he almost forgot how stubborn she can be when she wants something. "A B-minus is a perfectly respectable..."

"No, it isn't," says Aria. "Mona wrote hers in ten minutes and didn't even use a real source in her bibliography, and she got the same grade as me. I spent hours researching it. I followed your outline. I echoed the main points you made in class and really made an effort to understand and interpret the text. And admit it - my punctuation is flawless."

Again Ezra's lips quirk into a smile, which he hides behind a casually placed hand. "You do know your way around a comma."

"Tell me what this is really about," she demands.

Ezra allows a little gust of air to escape from his lungs - something between a laugh and a sigh. He hates this awkwardness between them. Absolutely despises it. "It's about the assignment, Aria. You know I would never bring ... anything else between us into the classroom."

"I don't _know_ that at all, Ezra," she says. "I just know this isn't the grade I earned."

At the sound of his first name, Ezra grows still and finally looks her in the eyes. He slowly gets to his feet and speaks to her in a softer tone. "This is a good paper, Aria, and I apologize if I graded it harshly. I think maybe I hold my brighter students to higher standards, which I admit, isn't fair. Still, I'm not sure you understood the novel's main theme of courage, love, and sacrifice."

As soon as the words come out of his mouth, he regrets them. He grips her paper hard in his hand and for the first time, acknowledges to himself exactly how much she's hurt him. It angers him that this fiery, passionate, eternally-_stubborn_ girl fought for him for so long - pleaded with him to give them a chance and ignore the labels society might put on their relationship - and not long after he finally gave in and put everything on the line to be with her, she pushed him away.

He isn't angry with her for changing her mind. She has a right to say no to him and a right to expect him to respect her wishes. It's the fact that he doesn't believe her excuse. Not for a second. He doesn't believe her when she says that being with her teacher makes her uncomfortable. No, not when she spent so many weeks trying to convince him otherwise. If there's one thing he's sure of, it's that Aria lied to his face when she broke up with him. He just wants to know what the hell happened.

Her eyes narrow at his words. "The main character abandons his family to protect them, right? Even though he loves them. Exactly which part did I not understand?"

She's right. He did give her the wrong grade. Ezra unearths a red pen from his messy desk and corrects her grade, crossing out the B-minus and writing in an A-minus. When he's done, he stands up straight and offers the essay back to her. As Aria stares at it, he watches the fight go out of her. She looks suddenly small and vulnerable, like something much much deeper than a B-minus is bothering her. It drives him crazy that he doesn't feel it's his place to ask her what's wrong.

"The part you didn't understand," says Ezra, "was the irony that in trying to protect his family, he ended up destroying himself, which in turn destroyed them all. It's a minor omission in comparison to the other good points you made, so I'll compromise and give you an A-minus. Is that fair?"

Aria nods, takes the essay back from him, and stuffs it into her bag. She's already shrinking away from him, but Ezra catches her gently by the arm before she can disappear. She doesn't resist but stares past his shoulder instead of looking up at his face. He touches her chin lightly, but she jerks it away. The movement, however, causes a tear to slip past her defenses and down her cheek. Aria, stubborn to the last, wipes it away and pretends it never fell. But it's too late. He's seen it and can't let her go until he knows she's okay.

The hallway outside his classroom is quiet, desolate. Spring Break has officially started, and Ezra technically isn't her teacher for the next week. With that mindset, he asks his next question. "Is this about us?"

She shakes her head sharply, and something about the fresh hardness in her eyes makes him believe her. Somewhat.

"Is it your parents?" he guesses again.

She hesitates before answering, then nods, but Ezra instantly recognizes the lie. Though it might be part of it, her parents' separation isn't what has her upset.

His thumb moves across her arm in what he hopes is a comforting gesture. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asks, fully recognizing but not caring that he sounds a little pathetic. "No matter what else changes between us, Aria, I'm still your friend. I care about you, and I'm here - anytime you need me."

He can only hope he isn't overstepping any boundaries with his words. It's not like he's confessing his love for her. He's honestly just worried.

She looks up at him finally, and he watches as her resolve crumbles into dust. Even then, he's still surprised when she moves into his arms - nose buried in the direct center of his chest, her hands in tight little fists, arms stiff at her sides. It's strange to Ezra, the way she seems to want him to hold her and the way she resists it at the same time. Regardless of her rigid form, he encircles her in his arms. It takes her a minute, but she eventually relaxes against him, her body warm and open to him even though she doesn't wrap her arms around his waist the way she might have once upon a time. He half-expects more tears, but she only rests against him, catches her breath, and seems to draw strength from his embrace. He strokes her hair from the crown of her head all the way down to her waist and patiently waits for her to re-center herself.

Ezra is aware that the door to his classroom is very much open, but he doesn't dare point it out to Aria or move to shut it. He's afraid she'll leave. And so what if they get caught hugging? He might get a slap on the hand or maybe a lecture about the proper conduct between teachers and students, but he wouldn't be lying if he has to assure the principal there's nothing going on between them. Because there isn't.

Eventually she shifts against him, and he takes it as her signal that she's ready for him to let her go. He draws back and hopes maybe now she'll talk to him. "Are you okay?" he asks quietly.

Before she can respond, her cell phone chimes, and he watches her face change from sad to scared as she reads a text message. She backs away from him as she slips her phone back into her bag.

"Aria?" he says, brow furrowing in confusion as she inches toward the door.

She shakes her head and turns. "I'm sorry. I can't."

He's more than a little frustrated as he watches her flee from his classroom. Just when he thinks he's finally getting through to her, she shuts him out and runs away again. He now knows for a fact that she's lying about her reasons for breaking up with him. She wouldn't have hugged him like that if he made her uncomfortable. Something else caused the split, and she's hiding it from him.

He follows her - angry and maybe a little worried as well. It's not like him to pressure anyone into doing something they don't want to do, but he wants her to talk to him. He can't just let her go without at least trying to find out what caused that frightened look on her face.

Outside, it's much too cold for springtime, and the air smells like snow. The chill cuts through his shirt, but he doesn't slow down as he follows Aria's small form to the parking lot. It's obvious from the hard set of her shoulders that she knows he's there, but she doesn't slow down until he calls out her name. She stops walking abruptly, pausing a few steps away from her car, but doesn't turn around. He finally catches up and walks around her until he can see her face. Her nose and eyes are red, her breath hitched with emotion.

Ezra doesn't know what to say, and even if he did, he isn't sure if she'll ever let him past the immense wall she's constructed between them. Something's happened between their conversation in the classroom and now, and she can't seem to speak. She takes a deep breath and pushes her wind-blown hair out of her face, wavering and shifting in place as if she's trying to make up her mind about something.

Finally, Aria pulls her keys out of her bag, wipes a tear off her cheek, and says, "Get in."

He lifts one eyebrow. Though he hears her, he still asks her to clarify, unsure if she's talking to him or to someone else. He even checks behind his shoulder to make sure no one else is standing there.

Aria sniffs and unlocks the car doors with the press of a button. "Come on, before someone sees."

This time, he doesn't hesitate. Taking the passenger seat, he tugs on the seatbelt and steals a look at Aria while she starts the car. He isn't sure what's going on, but he's determined to sit there beside her until he finds out.

* * *

To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two - Friday Night_

Ten minutes later, they've left Rosewood behind and are headed vaguely southwest. At least, Ezra thinks they are. He mostly watches Aria as she drives instead of paying attention to the road or the passing signs. He worries about her as she stares ahead with those blank, unhappy eyes, and he wishes to God she would just let him in a little. But when he asks her questions, she gives him short, vague answers or no answer at all. He supposes letting him ride in the car with her is about as much as he can hope for at the moment.

"Where are we going?" he asks eventually.

She shrugs. A moment later, a vague gesture at the horizon. "That way."

Two hours later, the sun is no where to be seen, and they're still driving away from Rosewood. Ezra thinks about asking her to turn around, about reminding her that her parents will probably be worried about her if she stays out too late, but something about the look on her face makes him keep his mouth shut. It could be his imagination, but the more miles they put between them and Rosewood, the more Aria seems to relax. He sees the softer edges of the girl he fell in love with begin to return. He'll drive with her forever if it helps her feel better.

Two hundred miles out, the fuel needle hits Empty. Ezra pumps gas while Aria purchases two coffees inside the station. As the numbers whiz by on the fuel display, he entertains a fantasy of driving like this with her forever. There's no need to constantly look over his shoulder out here in the middle of no where. No parents or coworkers to disapprove. Not that there's anything going on between the two of them - but he hasn't been able to truly relax with her since that first day he met her in the bar. He's missed that carefree feeling.

Reality checks in as Aria walks back toward the car, juggling two large cups of coffee and her cell phone. It's obvious from the tone in her voice that she's speaking to her father. Ezra hasn't heard her put more than three words together in more than an hour, and it's good to hear her voice - even if she's not speaking to him.

He accepts a coffee from her and watches solemnly as the phone conversation plays out. He gathers that her parents are out of town, perhaps rekindling the romance after their long separation. Aria lies so easily, he realizes - so effortlessly as she tells them she's handling being by herself at home just fine and that they shouldn't worry about her. When she ends the call, she looks at Ezra, her expression not nearly as blank as it was this afternoon but still not quite right. She looks exhausted.

"I thought your parents were having trouble. How long are they out of town?" he asks as he screws the gas cap shut.

Aria crosses her arms over her chest and kicks idly at the pebbles littering the ground. "They're deciding whether or not they're getting a divorce. Giving it one last shot, I guess. They're gone until next weekend. Mike's at some lacrosse thing."

Ezra is somewhat startled that she's pieced together four entire sentences and said them out loud. He sips his coffee and holds the passenger door open for her. The coffee scolds his tongue, which does a hell of a lot more to wake him up than the watered-down caffeine. Aria doesn't argue with his silent offer to drive and looks almost grateful as she settles in and buckles her seatbelt. Ezra wonders how long they can keep silent like this, only exchanging a sentence or two when absolutely necessary. Still, the quasi-silence doesn't bother him too much. It's still the most they've really talked since she broke up with him. He'll take what he can get.

As they pull out of the gas station, they come to the highway entrance. Right to go northeast, back to Rosewood. Left to head southwest, destination unknown. Ezra pauses there a little longer than necessary and glances at Aria, looking for some sort of guidance from her, but she only offers a blank stare at the sign. It seems to mean more to her than just a road-marker.

Ezra hits the turn-signal and guides the car left.

It's the craziest thing he's done since making out with her the first day they met. But he's starting to understand the change that comes over Aria the further away they get from Rosewood. The road is stretched out endlessly before them. It's Spring Break, and there's no where they have to be for the next week. No one is waiting at home for them. He doesn't feel like a high school teacher anymore, and she's certainly never felt like his student. They've left all that behind. Here, they're just Ezra and Aria.

Rolling down the window, he strips off his tie and tosses it to the ground outside. Aria looks at him with wide eyes, and after the shock wears off, he swears he sees the beginnings of a smile touch her lips. He's quite pleased with himself and smiles smugly for the next half hour.

Aria's fingers eventually find his in the darkness. He takes it as a _thank you_ for choosing the right direction so that she didn't have to.

* * *

Around midnight, Ezra can't keep his eyes open any longer. His cup of coffee is long-gone, and it wasn't very strong to begin with. Aria fell asleep on his shoulder a while ago, and he doesn't feel good about waking her up to drive.

He's contemplating whether or not to pull over to the side of the road for a nap when he sees the lights of a small town on the horizon. Closer inspection reveals it to be one of those towns that exists solely so that passersby can find a place to sleep and fill their tanks before getting back on the road. The largest attractions around seem to be a Wal-Mart and a McDonalds. It's not much, but it will do.

Aria stirs as he cuts the engine outside of a motel. Her hand moves down his chest, and she makes a little moan of protest at the brightness of the neon sign outside. She's soft and warm and gorgeous as she fights the pull of sleep, and he has to resist the urge not to lean down and wake her up with his kisses. She sits up and yawns just in time.

He clears his throat and adjusts his shirt, which is crumpled from the weight of her body against him. "Do you want your own room?" he asks.

She shakes her head no, and he nods before he gets out of the car. The sudden lack of her body heat makes him feel suddenly exposed and off-center, and he shivers as he walks toward the motel office. Though he's glad she doesn't want her own room, he does ask the clerk for a room with two beds - because despite the fact that they held hands in the car and she slept on his shoulder, he and Aria _are_ still broken up, and he loves her too much not to respect the space she asked for.

Ezra pays in cash and leaves a phony name at the desk. Just in case. Because even though he doesn't know anyone in this town, he doesn't want to take any chances. This would appear a lot worse to outsiders than it feels to him.

When he returns with their room key, Aria's sitting on the hood of the car with her mouth wide open in a huge yawn. She jumps off and follows him without a word, and as he fiddles with the key card in the room's lock (which of course, takes several tries to work), he realizes that this is the first time he's ever walked into a motel room with absolutely no bags. Aria has her purse, but that's all either of them are carrying. He didn't even think to grab his jacket as he left the school this afternoon.

Once they're inside, Aria walks straight for the bathroom, turns on the shower, and doesn't come out for an hour. Ezra sits on the edge of the bed in a bit of a daze and wonders how the hell they ended up here. Eventually, he kicks off his shoes and turns on a late night talk show to occupy his mind with something other than the girl in the bathroom.

She emerges eventually in a cloud of steam. Her hair is wet, neatly combed back, and her face is free from any trace of makeup. Her dress and tights are neatly folded up in her hands, and though she's mostly covered up in the scratchy white robe the motel offers, he can see that underneath she wears only a tank undershirt and a pair of white cotton panties.

Though Ezra doesn't mean to stare, he does. He isn't made of stone, and she's more than beautiful. He doesn't even realize he's doing it until she catches his eye and blushes.

He heads for the bathroom then, because he doesn't want to make her feel uncomfortable, and he doesn't trust himself not to keep staring at her. This isn't about him and what he wants - it's about never seeing that sad look on her face again. He isn't after anything from her other than that, and he's grateful for the opportunity to be here for her when she obviously needs someone. But for now, he thinks what she really needs is a little space.

In the shower, he lets the hot water pour over his head - then changes his mind and turns the knob to cold. When he returns to the room, rubbing his hair with a towel and dressed in his t-shirt and boxers, he's shivering but much more relaxed. He even manages to pull a smile and a laugh out of Aria when he tiptoes outside to the vending machine in his underwear to get them sodas and snacks for dinner.

They eat on opposite beds as they watch the credits roll on the late-late show, but when Aria returns from a trip to the bathroom, she stands uncertainly in the space between their beds. Her eyes ask him the question, even if she's not willing to vocalize it out loud. When he places his hand on the mattress beside him in invitation, she only hesitates a moment before crawling in bed beside him.

After Ezra turns off the lights and the TV, Aria snuggles close and presses her face to his chest like she thinks there's a monster in the closet. It's cute and a little ridiculous, but he keeps his amusement to himself. It's nothing compared to the happiness he feels in her presence, in this display of trust. Perhaps she doesn't need as much space as he thought at first.

"Thank you," she whispers before she stops fighting the pull of sleep.

Ezra's pretty sure she's already out when he tells her she's welcome, but he tells her anyway. Though he's just as exhausted as she is, he resists sleep a while longer. He isn't sure he'll ever get this chance again, and he wants to remember it.

* * *

To be continued.

A/N: Thanks for the sweet reviews last time. They really meant a lot to me. :)


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter Three - Saturday_

Ezra opens his eyes to an empty motel room. The place beside him where Aria slept is hardly wrinkled, and he has to tell himself that last night really did happen and it wasn't a dream. The sheets are cold to his touch, and the bathroom, dark and empty. His initial confusion fades into concern.

Perhaps he wouldn't worry under normal circumstances. Aria is responsible and grown-up for her age, but she also isn't acting like herself. He wonders if she would just leave him here and continue on on her own.

To his relief, there's a text message on his phone: _Needed some things. Be back soon._

When he peaks out of the curtains, he sees that the car is gone. The morning is young, the sun still low in the hazy, gray sky. She must have gotten up when it was still dark to sneak away so early.

He busies himself with the complimentary motel toiletries until Aria returns, several shopping bags from Walmart in hand. Apparently her parents left her with some money or she had some saved up. She's bought herself a new outfit for the day and folds up yesterday's clothes neatly in one of the empty shopping bags.

Ezra can't help but think she doesn't look quite like her normal self. Hair pulled up into a messy bun, jeans, a plain grey fitted t-shirt, and cheap sandals. Her face is clean save for a touch of cherry Chapstick, which he watches her apply. Not that she looks anything less than beautiful, but he's used to seeing her with perfectly curled hair and a full face of makeup, covered in daring accessories, and more often than not - a skirt.

She looks like an entirely different person, and maybe that's the point. Today she is Blank Canvas Aria. Clean and almost too pretty to touch.

She hands Ezra a bag with a strange sort of half-smile, and inside he finds that she's bought him clothes, too. A pair of jeans, a package of socks, some boxer shorts, and a few t-shirts in different colors.

"Sorry," she says with that funny ghost of a smile. "They were out of vests and ties."

He smiles and thanks her for the clothes. "That's okay. I'd probably throw the tie out of the window anyway."

He pulls the tags off of his new clothes while she shows him what else she bought. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, hand sanitizer, cell phone chargers, and a road map. She also bought a cooler, and after they pack up the car with their few belongings, they stop at a gas station to stock up on ice and bottles of water.

Aria sniffs suspiciously at an Egg McMuffin while Ezra crumples up a hash brown wrapper and studies the road map. Neither one of them has spoken of a destination or even mentioned the words 'road trip,' but it's not difficult to figure out that's what this is. Ezra doesn't care where they're headed. All he knows is that there's more color in Aria's cheeks than he's seen in weeks, and he wants to keep it there.

"I have absolutely no idea where we are," he admits after a five-minute study of the map. "Really. I don't even think I know what state we're in anymore. I was tired last night."

Aria points south, a direction he only figures out because he knows the sun rises in the east. "Go that way," she says. "Who cares where we are?"

* * *

He likes being the one behind the wheel, and she seems content to let him drive. The passing countryside has her full attention. When the sun begins to warm the day up, she rolls down her window, pulls her hair free from the bun, and lets it blow wild.

The car is filled with the scent of her shampoo and the sounds of some godawful country song on the radio. Neither one of them particularly cares for that style of music, but it fits the day somehow - gives them a false sense that everything is okay and part of the plan, even though reality might be the exact opposite. Aria hums along in her pretty, girlish voice, though it's clear she doesn't know the song - like playing dress up in a pair of clothes she'd never pick out for herself.

It takes him a while, but Ezra finally figures out that they're in Virginia. This knowledge makes him want to dissolve into nervous laughter because for all intents and purposes, he's kidnapped a minor and taken her to fucking _Virginia_. And they're not turning around anytime soon. He tries not to think very hard about anything. Especially consequences.

When they finally have to stop for fuel, they laugh until their sides hurt at Aria's hair, which is a huge, tangled rat's nest from the wind. The air is humid, much warmer than it was in Rosewood, and a thunderstorm rumbles gently about a mile away. Springtime at last. It seems to relax them both, and after the car is fueled up, they sit for a while with the windows rolled down, Aria's legs in Ezra's lap as he patiently combs out the knots out of her hair. It's slow work, since he's wary of pulling too hard and hurting her, but then again, he's taking his time on purpose - for obvious reasons.

They roll up the windows and huddle closer as rain begins to patter against the roof of the car. The windows go hazy with steam, water droplets hiding them from view of the world, and soon they're contained within a little bubble all their own.

They don't kiss, but somehow it feels more intimate than that. Aria moves closer, pushing his seatbelt aside as she settles onto his lap. He pushes his seat back and together they stare at the car ceiling and listen to the rain. Her fingers curl and clutch at his t-shirt as he smoothes her hair down her back, now free from tangles, smooth and straight, like silk under his fingers.

"Aria, why did you really break up with me?" he asks quietly.

Her body tenses against his but eventually, she relaxes again. She licks her lips, and he honestly thinks for a minute that she might tell him. But her cell phone beeps with a new text message, and the spell breaks.

Aria sits up to check the message, and the car suddenly feels too warm, too muggy. Ezra starts the car and switches on the air conditioning, studying her face briefly before stealing a glance at her phone. He's able to see the message. Normally he wouldn't invade her privacy in such a way, but the way she stares at the screen concerns him.

_You can run, but do you really think you can hide from me? -A_

Attached to the message is a picture of the town they stayed in the previous night, the Walmart in the background. Aria flips the phone shut, and that awful look has returned to her face. She's gone. Shut off. Vacant once more.

Ezra's eyes narrow. "Aria?"

She takes a deep breath, and he can see that she's shaking. He asks what's going on, but she gets out of the car and steps into the rain without answering him. The door to the gas station bathroom is locked, and there's no time to go inside for the key before Aria elects to kneel beside the curb and throw up there.

It's been difficult to get her to eat all day, so there's not much in her stomach when she empties it. Ezra rubs her back and helps her sip from a bottle of water when she's finished. He wants to hold her close to comfort her, but she's closed off to him again, pushing his hands away as she gets to her feet. She looks around as if she thinks someone is watching.

Ezra gets to his feet as well, dusting off his hands on his jeans. "Who was that text message from? You never told me who A is."

"Yes, I have," she says flatly as she heads for the car.

_Someone who's messing with me_, he remembers her saying once - though he hadn't believed her explanation before. Who would want to mess with Aria?

He tries again, more insistent this time. "Aria, you need to tell me what's going on. I can't help you if you don't-"

She spins around to face him abruptly, raindrops slipping down her cheeks. "I don't need your help."

She holds a hand out for the keys, and Ezra stares at her face for a long moment before giving them to her. "Why do you keep shutting me out like this?" he asks. "Have I done something wrong? Hurt you in any way? If I did, Aria, I'm sorry. Just please talk to me."

Her face softens a little as he speaks, but she turns and walks toward the car instead of giving in and telling him anything. She gets behind the wheel, and Ezra's left with no other choice than to take the passenger's seat, though he kicks a rock across the parking lot before he returns to the silence of the car.

He's really beginning to hate the silence.

* * *

Ezra's truly angry with her for the first time. She's done little things in the past that have upset him. Pushed him too hard, not listened, rushed ahead when he asked her to pause and think. Those are minor offenses compared to simultaneously stringing him along and shutting him out. He fumes as the silent miles go by and doesn't speak until she pulls into a motel parking lot sometime around dusk.

"I'll pay tonight," she says, but he gets out of the car and slams the door before she can give him any money.

The room is smaller than last night's. Colder and cramped. Ezra leaves almost as soon as they walk in and set their things down. Aria puts a hand on her hip and asks where he thinks he's going. He gets a childish sort of pleasure when he snips back, "_Out_."

Half an hour later, he returns with a to-go box from IHOP. He puts it in front of Aria, opens it up to display a full breakfast of pancakes, eggs, hash browns, and bacon. She looks ready to protest, so he says, "Eat. Or I'm taking you home."

She narrows her eyes. "It's my car."

"It's registered in your parents' names," he reminds her. "And if you don't start eating, don't think I won't call them."

"And do what? Tell them we're in a motel room together? Great plan, professor."

He takes a moment to rub his face in frustration. "Would you just eat your dinner? God, I've never met anyone so stubborn in my entire life. It's like your superpower or something."

Aria's eyes narrow impossibly more. She unwraps a plastic fork, spears some eggs, and shoves it into her mouth. "Happy?" she asks with her cheeks stuffed and round.

Ezra rolls his eyes and heads for the bathroom. Tonight, he doesn't need the cold shower and instead turns the water as hot as it will go. The room is dark when he gets out, and he hits his knee on the edge of the bed before he gets in it. He chose the one without Aria in it, feeling like it was the right thing to do under the circumstances.

She lasts a full five minutes before she makes an exasperated sound in her throat, crawls out of her bed, and slides in next to him in his. Though he's still angry with her, he immediately gathers her up in his arms and rubs his lips against her hairline, smelling the Virginian trees and the thunderstorm in her hair. He's glad she hasn't showered yet. She smells so good that it makes his head feel fuzzy.

"Good night," she huffs, her words muffled against his chest.

"Mmhmm," he growls in return.

They sleep.

* * *

To be continued.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter Four - Sunday_

Ezra's awake this time when Aria leaves the motel for her early morning shopping trip. She departs with the first words she's spoken to him all night: "I'll be back in an hour."

And she is. With another bagful of clothes and some coffee and food as well.

He sips his coffee black and picks at a bagel while Aria gets ready. The morning news reminds him that there's a real world outside of their comfortable little bubble, and he quickly changes the channel to cartoons instead. The plight of Wile E. Coyote is much more his speed today.

Aria takes more time getting dressed than yesterday. As Ezra listens to the never-ending hum of her new hair dryer, he tries to remember that there's really no reason for her to rush. It's not like they have anywhere they need to be or even a clue as to where they're going. At least she's on her feet and taking care of herself, eating a carton of yogurt and granola right in front of him before heading for the shower. And from the looks of it, she did try to eat the food he brought her the night before. It's enough to soothe the worst of his anger with her. He's more frustrated than angry, anyway.

He quickly dresses in the new pair of jeans she bought him, but pauses when he sees the crisp white button-down shirt she picked out to go with it. There's something very grown-up about it - something very _teacher_-like - and he wonders if she's trying to tell him something. He pulls it on but leaves it untucked, sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

When Aria finally emerges from the bathroom, Ezra nearly chokes on a hasty sip of coffee. She's got on a white button-down shirt as well, but hers isn't buttoned at all. It's knotted around her waist, showing off a thin tank top underneath. Her blue skirt is short and pleated, and while it isn't exactly a Catholic school girl uniform, it sure as hell looks like one to Ezra. Her hair hangs stick straight down to her waist, and she's wearing a neck tie as a headband. Mascara and eyeliner have been added to her makeup collection. She lifts an eyebrow at him and sits down on the bed to pull on a pair of high knee socks.

Again, she's turned into a completely different person than she was yesterday morning. This is Defiant Aria, and her entire demeanor tells him if he doesn't like it, then he can walk home.

On the television screen, the roadrunner tricks the coyote into running straight into a brick wall. Ezra knows exactly what he feels like.

* * *

In the car, he tries not to stare at her legs. They're covered up by socks, but that's really beside the point. She has them propped up on the window, her little feet dangling outside of the car as she soaks up the warmth of the sun like a cat.

Her back rests against his arm, and she feeds him bites of her ice cream sundae as the temperature outside rises. It's obvious that she's not only irritated but restless today. She shifts and changes positions often - and for some reason, keeps finding different ways to touch him. It's almost as if she's daring him to notice and call her on it.

When she finishes her sundae and tires of leaning against him, she pulls her legs back into the car and turns so that she's facing forward. A few minutes of searching through the local radio stations frustrates her, and she finally turns it off altogether. With a restless sigh, she links her fingers with his and brings his hand to rest in her lap, but her skirt is so short that his skin brushes the bare smoothness of her leg above her socks.

It's like she's trying to make him wreck the car.

As if he wasn't having enough trouble ignoring those legs, now he has real problems. She loosens her grip on his fingers so that he can explore her inner thigh if he wants to. He does want to, but he doesn't do more than brush the soft skin briefly with the pad of his thumb. He wonders how the hell them being angry at each other turned into _this_.

Ezra feels a bit like he's not in his own body anymore. He never would have let his hand rest in such an intimate place if they were back in Rosewood. Even if they were dating. Even when they _were_ dating, it never went past kissing. Hands in safe places - her waist, her cheeks, her arms. This isn't safe at all. And for reasons he can't explain, that's making him even angrier.

Aria's grown more interested in the road map since her first few days of avoidance, and she asks him to take her to Savannah, Georgia. His inner-literary nerd rejoices, though his conscience is still demanding to know what the hell he thinks he's doing this far away from home with a sixteen-year-old in knee socks.

Savannah is sultry, hot, and the most beautiful city he's seen in a long time. The charm of the place takes his mind off of their argument. For a little while, at any rate. As they explore the city, Aria's outfit earns her a few strange glances. If she notices, she doesn't care. Then again, when has she ever shied away from making a statement? Still, it bothers Ezra that the statements she's making don't seem very much like Aria at all. She's floundering between identities, not confident like she used to be, as if she isn't sure who she is anymore.

They go to see the Mercer House for obvious reasons, and Ezra loves that Aria knows what the Mercer House is at all. _Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil_ is one of his favorite books. But on the tour of the house, Aria leans her body back against his every time their group comes to a stop, and he finds he can't concentrate on anything their tour guide says.

Ezra grows quieter as the day progresses, and Aria grows more bold. As the sun retreats past the lazy horizon, they decide on a place for dinner - but she looks past the restaurant and instead walks straight for the dive bar next to it.

He follows her, shaking his head in disbelief as she approaches the bouncer out front. She speaks with him briefly, hand on her hip as she flashes a flirtatious smile. The bouncer follows her with his eyes after he lets her past, into the bar. When he turns back around, Ezra is glaring at him hard.

"You got ID?" the bouncer asks.

Ezra lifts an eyebrow and looks past the man's shoulder, into the smokey bar where he can see the bartender handing Aria a pair of tequila shots. After Ezra refocuses on the bouncer, he asks, "Seriously?"

Apparently, he is serious. By the time Ezra makes it past security, Aria has downed both tequila shots. Her face is scrunched up as she sucks on a lime, which would be adorable if it weren't so worrisome. He can't really say much about the illegal part without feeling hypocritical.

The bartender leans in Aria's direction, a coy smile on his unshaven face as he asks her if she wants anything else. Aria orders two more shots, but if the bartender doesn't look quite as friendly as he pours them, it's because Ezra slips his arm possessively around Aria's waist as he joins her at the bar. She smiles a little drunkenly as she presses her body back against his and guides his hand up to her mid-drift. There's a live band in the back, playing some sort of generic blues progression, and Aria moves with the beat, ensuring that Ezra gets the full benefit of her curves.

When her shots are ready, she slides one in front of Ezra and downs the other. But when he stares at her without expression, not touching the shot glass, Aria eventually shrugs and drinks his as well. When the tab is closed out, she takes his hand and pulls him deeper into the crowd. Men gape at her, and Ezra wishes she would let him take her away from this place. As she wraps her arm backwards around his neck and rocks her hips to the music, he just stares ahead blankly.

Really, what the hell did she think she was doing? Did she like messing with his head like this? Sure, they've held hands and slept in the same bed for a few days now, but this flirtation doesn't feel authentic to him. This girl isn't his Aria at all, and it almost feels like cheating.

He puts his hands up and backs away, as if to say this is none of his doing. Then he heads for the exit, trusting that she'll follow if he's not giving her the attention she seems to crave.

He's right. She catches up with him in the parking lot and calls out to him until he stops. "What's wrong?" she asks, genuinely sounding confused. "Why'd you run away like that?"

Ezra sighs. Though the last time he confronted her didn't go so well, he decides to give it another shot. "I just don't understand what's going on with you. I mean, what is all this anyway?" He gestures to her outfit. "This isn't you at all."

She looks small standing there, like a little girl playing dress up in grown-up clothes. She gives a little shrug. "I guess sometimes I like to be someone else for a little while. I don't know - I thought maybe you'd like it."

"I love _you_, Aria," he says heatedly. "The real you; not these disguises you put on. I barely recognize you right now."

The confession of love is a slip-up, but Ezra doesn't regret the words. Even though they're still broken up (at least, he thinks they are), he wants her to understand why he's standing there with her nearly eight hundred miles away from home. They're supposed to be running away together, but instead, she's running away from him just as hard.

"Look, I don't know what's going on in your head right now," he says, his tone gentler as he finally feels like she's listening to him. "But here's what's going on in mine. I think you lied to me when you broke up with me. I don't think our relationship made you uncomfortable. I think it made you just as happy as it made me. Something else caused it, and you looked me straight in the eye and lied. I think you're scared to tell me why - and okay, whatever, fine. Don't tell me. But don't lie to me anymore either. And stop stringing me along if everything is going to go back to normal once we're back in Rosewood. I know things aren't what they used to be between us, but I would hope you would care about me enough not to play with my head like this. It hurts, Aria. "

She blinks at his words, obviously surprised, and the way tears shine in her eyes let's him know she wasn't really aware she was hurting him.

"Of course I care about you," she says quietly. "I don't want to hurt you."

He sighs at the stricken look on her face, and his anger fizzles out quickly. He's glad - because the last thing he wants to do is waste more precious time fighting. "Come here."

His arms are ready to surround her when she walks straight into them. She buries her face in his chest, which has become her safe haven throughout this trip.

Ezra strokes her hair and says, "I can handle you not wanting to tell me things. Everyone has secrets. But please don't lie to me anymore, Aria. I'd rather you say nothing at all. Can you promise me that?"

She nods, her cheek rubbing against his shirt. "I promise. I'm sorry."

He lets out another sigh, only this one is in relief. Their argument is over - the air between them cleared. He still doesn't have a single answer, but that's a hell of a lot better than having a bunch of lies. Pressing a kiss to her temple, he says, "Okay, then."

Aria's skin and hair feel good against his lips. Too good. So familiar and warm that his mouth aches to do it again - and maybe seek out other areas of her body as well. This has always been his weakness with her. Even when he was the one resisting the relationship at the beginning, he couldn't seem to stop kissing her. If nothing else, they've always been able to connect physically. She's like some sort of drug to him.

But they're still broken up, and she's probably buzzed from the alcohol. He can't bring himself to push that on her when she hasn't asked him to. Not when she's finally letting him back in again. Drawing back with her face in his hands, he can't help but leave another kiss on her forehead, near her hairline. "Come on," he says with a gentle smile. "Let's grab some food and find someplace to sleep. I'm exhausted."

He wonders if he's imagining the disappointed look on her face when he lets her go, but it's too dark in the parking lot to tell for sure.

* * *

To be continued.

A/N: Know that though the road might be bumpy, I love happy endings. You're safe with me. :) Thanks again for the lovely reviews. They mean a lot to me.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter Five - Monday_

When Ezra opens his eyes the next morning, Aria is kneeling beside him on the bed and holding a Disney World brochure up to her chest.

She stares at him with huge, hopeful eyes.

Ezra squints at her, then down at the brochure, then back up at her again. Then he rolls over, tugs the blanket over his head, and goes back to sleep.

Aria pulls the blanket away. "_Please_."

He shrinks away from the light like some kind of nocturnal creature. "God, what time is it?"

"It's, um ... morning," she replies evasively. "Four in the morning, actually. Listen, I've mapped out the route already, and it'll take us a few hours to get there. We should leave now if we want to get there when it opens. How soon can you be dressed?"

"Wait, _what_ time is it? No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Just hear me out..."

"How are you even awake after downing four shots of tequila last night?" he asks in disbelief. "We spent yesterday in an amazing city full of history and literature, and now you want to follow it up with a trip to Corporate Mouse World?"

"_Disney_ World," she corrects, as if he doesn't know. "And it would mean a lot if you took me. I know it's stupid, but I always wanted to go when I was a kid."

Then she gets this sad, wistful look about her, and Ezra doesn't really feel like he has a choice anymore. After he reminds himself that this trip is for her, not him, he rubs his eyes and sits up in bed. "You better be glad you're pretty. That's all I have to say."

Her answering smile is so bright that Ezra doesn't complain for the rest of the day. He's starting to feel like he's getting _his_ Aria back.

* * *

They leave before the sun rises since they're still quite a distance from their destination. Aria is awake and animated during the drive, like a little kid on Christmas morning. There's a change in her today, and Ezra can't pinpoint it at first. He watches her out of the corner of his eye while he nurses his second large coffee of the morning.

She asks him to stop at a second-hand boutique just outside of Orlando so that she can pick out a new outfit for the day. Ezra follows her down the aisles while she browses, and he likes the way his button-down shirt from yesterday looks on her today. She picks out a wispy sundress printed with soft flowers. She adds some baby pink blush to her growing makeup collection, and clips some long, thin feather extensions into her hair. The end result is very girlish and while it's not exactly something he would normally picture Aria in, he's starting to see hints of the girl he knows and loves return.

Today she's Fanciful Aria, and as he walks with her into the theme park, she looks around at the world in a sort of innocent wonder.

Okay, so maybe Disney World isn't as bad as he anticipated. It's Monday and not _too_ crowded with small, feral children. He has to admit the place has a charm to it, but it's the look on Aria's face that truly makes him glad he agreed to this.

They reach for each others hands at the same time. She's more shy about showing him physical affection than she was yesterday, perhaps since he called her out on using it to mess with his head, and he trusts that now that that isn't what she's trying to do today. Any awkwardness between them is long-gone, and though they're still not quite in the same place they once were, today ... well, he almost feels like he has his girlfriend back. And it feels good.

They go into a souvenir shop to escape the growing heat outside, and when Aria's not looking, Ezra hides the pair of Goofy ears she keeps putting on his head. She turns around and asks what he thinks of her Minnie Mouse ears, and her smile is so beautiful and carefree that he forgets himself for a minute.

His kiss takes her off guard, but she responds to it quickly enough.

It's been too long since their last kiss, and this entire trip has seemed like one long episode of foreplay leading up to this moment. She throws her arms around his neck, and they go at it right there in the middle of the store. Ezra's vaguely aware of a small child standing nearby, a melted ice cream cone in hand, staring at them in horror with a huge ring of chocolate around his mouth.

PDA is a new thing for them. They've never been able to show affection in public before, and they take advantage of the opportunity, not caring how many young children they disgust or scar for life. They make out in lines for rides and on the rides themselves. She sits on his lap while they eat dinner and feeds him french fries dipped in a milkshake between kisses.

He doesn't expect to enjoy It's A Small World very much, but as they exit the ride and step into the sunshine, Aria stuffs her bra into her purse with a smirk and he's in a better mood than he's been in a month. Who knew feeling his girl up while hundreds of creepy puppets sang to them could be so enjoyable? He's convinced that if a grown man is forced to go to Disney World, this is the way to do it.

By the end of the day, they're both a little sunburned, and their lips hurt from all the kissing. But in that moment, it really does feel like the happiest place on earth. Not because of any stupid mouse or over-hyped ride, but because this is exactly what both of them needed. An escape from reality.

But the park is closing soon, and they can both feel it - the shadow of reality lurking on the horizon. Aria starts dragging her feet, and Ezra can tell that she's exhausted. Still, he doesn't have the heart to break the spell and suggest they head for the exit.

* * *

When she finally starts telling him the truth, she can't seem to stop.

She's snuggled up in his lap on a bench near the rear of the park, surrounded by trees and thousands of twinkling lights. The nightly fireworks display booms in the distance as Aria spills her guts out to him. Ezra listens carefully, afraid to interrupt for fear she might close up again. He's stunned by how much this girl has kept trapped inside of her. He knew bits and pieces before, but it seems that was only the tip of the iceberg.

Aria tells him about Alison - about how awful she was and the secrets she made them all keep. She tells him about her dad's affair and how she kept it from her mom, and how once Alison stopped tormenting her about it, this anonymous person called _A_ started right up in her place. Ezra feels a growing sort of horror as Aria tells him more about A - that this person has known about their relationship since day one and has been tormenting Aria about it.

The story is so ridiculous that he thinks she might be joking at first. Especially since it's hard to take her seriously when she's wearing a pair of Minnie Mouse ears. But then she shows him the actual text messages, which she hasn't deleted from her phone. Then she admits finally that A was the reason she broke up with him.

"I was trying to keep you safe from her," says Aria, bunching his shirt up in her hand as if she's afraid he'll get up and walk away. "Remember a long time ago, when I first told you about my parents? When we had that stupid argument in your apartment about how I try too hard to fix things? I was trying to fix our situation without you ending up hurt or fired or in jail. She wants to ruin us all, Ezra, and I'm scared to death she's going to take you with us. She's already ruined my family. I won't let her get to you, too."

It's clear she's terrified of A - about the power this person holds over her life and relationships - but Ezra is only confused. Not only is Alison's murderer still at large, but this A person is basically stalking four high school students. Why hasn't she gone to the police? Why haven't her friends? And why hasn't she told him any of this before now?

Aria tugs on one of his Goofy ears wistfully. "Because we all have too much to lose if our secrets come out. For me, the biggest thing I had to lose was you. Not only did I want to protect you, but I guess I wanted to take that power over me away from A."

Ezra doesn't have a quick solution to offer her. Of course, he wants to take her straight to the police, but the look on her face assures him that's not an option. He needs to think and mull over everything she just said, and since there's a lot to process, that could take a while. But at least he has answers now, even if there's no solution. At least Aria has trusted him enough to let him inside of her head, where he thinks very few people have been allowed.

He holds her in his lap while they watch fireworks boom and sparkle in the distance, and he tells her everything will be okay. He doesn't know how, but it has to be.

Aria might be afraid of A - but he isn't.

* * *

To be continued.

A/N: This chapter was _so_ much fun to write. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter Six - Tuesday_

It's difficult to get Aria out of bed the next morning.

She's not asleep, but rather she seems to hide under the covers where no one can find her. Ezra follows her there, beneath the sheets where it's dark and quiet, and he strokes her hair in concern. She squeezes his hand and tries to pretend she isn't nearly in tears, but even in the darkness, it's easy to see she's upset.

He's already showered and dressed, ready to leave whenever she is, but Aria shows no interest in getting up and starting her day. Her breakfast has grown cold on the little table beside the motel window. Her phone chimes with text messages from friends and family, the same way it has everyday of their trip, but this morning is the first time she's actively ignored everyone.

After how open and honest she was yesterday, it's disconcerting to see her shut herself off again, but Ezra thinks he knows what's bothering her. The worst of her silence ended with last night's honesty; this is just an aftershock.

He tries to be patient and lets her stay in her hiding place until checkout time draws near. They can only stay in the motel room until noon, and when Ezra gently reminds her of the time, Aria eventually comes out of her cocoon and heads for the shower. They make it down to the front desk and return their room key with a minute to spare.

Aria's hair is still wet, and she isn't wearing any makeup. She's wearing a Disney World t-shirt and a pair of shorts, her face covered up by a pair of enormous sunglasses. In short, she looks like every other exhausted tourist in the motel lobby, but Ezra can see through the disguise.

Today, she's Anonymous Aria, and she keeps her head down as he slips his arm around her shoulders and guides her toward the parking lot.

Once Ezra puts their things in the back seat, he straightens and notices that Aria has inched away from the car. She's standing near the sidewalk, which leads toward a shopping strip down the street.

"Can we walk around for a while?" she asks, pushing her damp hair out of her face. The wind and sun are drying the strands quickly, and she fumbles around in her bag for something to tie her hair back with. "Maybe grab something to eat or go shopping? I don't think I'm ready to go quite yet."

It's the most she's said to him all morning, which is fine by Ezra. After all, he told her a few days ago that she didn't have to talk just as long as she wasn't telling him lies. He agrees to her proposition without argument - mostly because he wants to see her eat something, but also because he suspects he knows exactly why she doesn't want to get in the car.

Yesterday as they were leaving Disney World, they discussed how they would need to start driving back toward Rosewood today. Aria's parents are set to return Saturday morning, and she needs to be home by Friday night to be safe. Only now Aria doesn't seem to like the idea of leaving. In fact, she seems dead set on doing anything in her power to drag her feet and make their time together last.

Ezra understands where she's coming from. Yesterday was so magical - encapsulated in a sort of dream world where they had no problems, no one following them, and no one to tell them being together is wrong. They've been safe on this trip for the most part, with the exception of that one text message from A. But it appears they've even managed to outrun her, as Aria hasn't heard from her stalker in days.

Ezra doesn't relish the idea of returning to the real world. He'd drive with her like this forever if he could, but it would be wrong not to help Aria face her fears. Now that she's told him everything, he can understand why the thought of going back to Rosewood is scary. He doesn't particularly want to go back either. But they have to.

He follows her into a diner, and when they're seated at a booth, he slides in next to her instead of taking the bench across from her. She keeps her sunglasses on, and the waitress seems to think Aria has a bad hangover or something. She slips her a shot of vodka with her orange juice with a sympathetic wink, and Aria eagerly adds the shot to her drink.

Ezra watches her with a defeated sigh. "I am such a bad adult."

"Yeah, you really are," Aria agrees between sips. "But I like you that way."

She leans against his shoulder and nibbles at a grilled cheese sandwich. Ezra sips coffee and eats her unwanted bread crusts, trying all the while to decide whether or not he should bring up the subject of going back to Rosewood.

She decides for him. "I don't want to go home yet," she says, shifting in her seat, suddenly restless. "Will you take me to the beach?"

Ezra contemplates her request while he watches her tear up a napkin into little pieces, then reach for another so that she can tear that one up as well. "We'll have to book it home pretty fast if we stay in Florida another day," he says. "We're a long way from home, but it's not an impossible distance."

"Does that mean yes?" Aria asks. The change in her expression is immediately visible - hope replacing the fear. "Just one more day. I promise I won't complain tomorrow. Much."

He fights a grin as he digs a twenty out of his wallet. Dropping it on the table, he leans toward her, tilts her chin up, and presses a long kiss to her mouth. When he draws back, he sees the hint of a smile on her face. It's reward enough for the trouble this will cause them on the road later. "Okay," he says.

His acceptance earns him a full smile this time, and she pulls him out of the diner excitedly. She's not quite as animated as she was yesterday at Disney World, but he'll take what he can get.

When they reach the car, she gets in the driver's seat without consulting with him. He's done most of the driving on the trip, but he's noticed that when she's worked up about something, she prefers to be the one behind the wheel. It's a control thing, he suspects, and he can definitely understand that. Sometimes when everything seems out of control, it's nice to be in charge of where you're headed at least for that moment.

He plays with her hair while she drives and doesn't question the route she chooses. East or west or south - chances are good that they'll hit water sooner or later. It takes them a while to get there, but they eventually end up in Tampa. When they find a good place to park near the water, Aria almost immediately goes into shopping mode. She drags Ezra to a strip of beach stores and picks out a blue and white nautical striped bikini to wear under her clothes. When she jokingly holds up a skimpy neon pink speedo for his consideration, Ezra shakes his head, grabs a pair of board shorts off of a sales rack, and heads for the cash register.

They hold hands as they walk to the beach, and Aria happily kicks off her shoes the second they reach the sand. She takes off running, and when he finally catches up with her, she's picked a spot near the water - an area mostly free of small children and dogs. The sun is hot, and Ezra watches Aria peel off her t-shirt with mixed emotions - most of which make his stomach feel tight with nervousness.

"You better be ready with a bottle of aloe vera in the morning," he says as he scratches the stubble on his cheek. "It doesn't matter how much sunscreen I put on. I'm going to be red as a lobster tomorrow."

"That's cute." She laughs as she lays a towel down on the sand. Settling on top of it, she says, "Shirt off, Mr. Fitz. I'll rub sunscreen on your back - and anywhere else you don't think you can reach."

It's almost enough to draw a blush out of him. Aria settles down on her knees in front of him and takes her time helping him rub sunscreen into his skin. First his face, neck, and shoulders, then his chest and arms. He gets his legs while she does his back, and by the time it's all over, he's so relaxed from the feel of her hands massaging his skin, he could take a nap right there in the sand. Preferably with her wrapped up in his arms.

Before he has the chance, she holds up a bottle of tanning oil and says, "Your turn. Do me."

He lifts an eyebrow, for a moment taking her words much differently than she probably meant them. Getting to her feet, she unzips her shorts and lets them fall to the ground before she sits down on the towel again.

She busies herself covering her legs and arms, while he spreads the oil around on her back. He's never seen this much of her skin exposed before, not even this week in their motel rooms. Her body is warm under his hands and flushed pink from the sun. While his hands move down her sides, he can't help but bury his face in her hair and inhale her scent. She leans back against him, and his hands slide around to rest flat on her bare stomach. They relax like that for a long while. The world passes them by - screaming children with runny noses and sun-kissed couples in love - but neither Aria nor Ezra notice. They're caught up in their own little world again, and both of them are very content to stay there.

"You do realize that I'm getting sunblock on you while you're getting tanning oil on me?" says Ezra in a lazy tone. "I'm anxious to see how our tans develop. My front will be red and my back white - and you'll be the opposite. It's like an experiment."

Aria laughs, and her smile is so bright that he's compelled to reach out and touch her rosy cheek. "It's good to see you smiling again," he says. "Really good."

Her smile fades a bit but doesn't disappear entirely. "I don't mean to seem so down in the dumps. I'm having such a good time on this trip, Ezra. I just don't want it to end."

"I know," he replies, his tone extra gentle as he nuzzles the side of her face. "I don't either."

She doesn't seem to hear him. Suddenly she's agitated again, and she sits up and dusts sand off of her hands. "I mean, what's going to happen to us once we get back home? Do we go back to the way it was - broken up and miserable? Or do we go back to hiding? God, I hate this. And I don't know what to do about it."

She's up and on her feet before he can stop her. He watches for a minute as she marches toward the ocean and wades in - then he gets reluctantly to his feet and follows. She's waist-deep by the time he catches up with her, and she jumps a little in surprise when he wraps his arms around her waist.

"I wish you would just relax and trust me," he says as he tugs her body against his. "Do you really think I'm going to let that person torment you anymore? That's going to end, one way or another."

"What can you do to make it end?" she presses, shaking her head. "I just don't see it."

"Aria," he says - gently but firmly, so that she'll listen and know he means what he says. "Trust me. Just let it all go and give it to me. I've got you, baby, and I'm going to take care of you. I promise."

When he calls her _baby_, the look on her face is a mixture of pleasure and some other nameless emotion that makes tears fill her eyes. He leans down to kiss her, mostly because he wants to put an end to her worries, even if just for a moment - but he lingers longer than he intended for more selfish reasons. He's never kissed her like this before - holding her against his bare chest, trailing his fingers down the soft skin of her back. The moment is surprisingly intimate, much more so than any of the kisses they shared yesterday. As the waves rock them against each other, he knots her hair up in his hand and guides her head sideways, giving him better access to let his tongue slide into her mouth. She moans and presses her body against his with renewed enthusiasm.

It's not the first time she's gotten him worked up, but it is the first time he's allowed himself to truly wonder what it would be like to make love to her. It doesn't matter that the rest of the world would try to cast some perverted light on it if they ever went that far. He knows where his head is at, and he would never do anything that would hurt her. They'll go there when it's the right time for them both.

When their kisses end, she blinks up at him for several long moments, ocean water dripping from her chin. "I love you," she says at last. Her eyes and voice are steady, unwavering. She means it, and he feels it.

Ezra's heard her say those words before, but not in a long time. Not since before she broke up with him. He stares down at her in quiet amazement before a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. "Does that mean you're my girlfriend again?"

Aria tries to fight back a smile of her own and fails, so she presses her face into his shoulder so he won't see. "If you still want me. Sometimes I don't know why you put up with me at all."

How could she not know? Ezra kisses the top of her head, eyes closing as his arms tighten around her little body. "Because I love you, too," he says. "Silly girl. Of course I want you."

He pulls her out deeper into the ocean, as if to remind her to trust him. Tomorrow they'll have to turn around and go in a different direction entirely, but for now, they're happy to drift away in a world all their own.

* * *

To be continued.

A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting this. Had a bit of writer's block, but I think I broke through it. New chapter hopefully soon!


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter Seven - Wednesday and Thursday Morning  
_

Ezra wakes up the next morning with a half-naked girl in bed with him.

It takes him a good five minutes to remember exactly when they both ended up wearing only their underwear - or if they did anything else he should feel guilty about.

It was dark when their clothes came off - too dark to see anything, really - enveloped in the warmth of the covers while the air conditioning unit hummed a monotone song beneath the motel window. But though their hands and mouths roamed in places previously undiscovered, they didn't have sex. And apparently they didn't have to in order to achieve the sort of intimacy he's previously thought of as unrealistic.

He kisses Aria awake, and when she finally rouses, she's blushing but smiling. Her skin is tan from yesterday's sun, and he traces a fingertip over the new patch of freckles on her shoulder.

"You okay?" he asks quietly. It's a loaded question, but he wants to be sure he didn't push her anywhere she didn't want to go last night. Though it seemed like the natural progression of things at the time, it's still a big step for them. Also, a fast one. "Are _we_ okay?"

Aria bites her lower lip and nods. She's more bashful than yesterday, which makes sense since their relationship has taken more physical turns in the last few days than it did in the handful of months when they were first a couple. "Are you sure we have to turn around today?" she whispers, clutching the sheet to her chin.

He rubs his lips against hers without kissing her - and nods. "Let's make the most of it. Just because we're driving back doesn't mean we can't have fun."

She won't get out of bed until he closes his eyes. Even then, she wraps a sheet around her body and takes it with her as she scrambles for the bathroom. It was probably easier for her to feel confident in the dark last night, when he couldn't really see anything. In the light of morning, she's not so sure of herself anymore. But she's smiling and doesn't seem unhappy with the choices they've made, so he doesn't worry too much. They're okay.

After she's done in the bathroom, he goes in for a shower himself. He's shivering like crazy when he emerges ten minutes later, and Aria frowns when she sees him and asks, "Did I use up all the hot water?"

He chuckles as he rubs a towel against his head, making his hair curl and stick up in every direction. "Not exactly."

It takes her a second, but she finally gets it. Her eyes narrow the way they always do when she's gearing up for a little playful banter. "You know, it took me almost the entire time you were in there to find my bikini top," she says, arms crossed over her chest. She's trying to look stern, but the smirk on her lips gives her away.

"Oh, yeah?" he asks, not even bothering to hide his grin. He sits on the edge of the bed and pulls a fresh pair of socks out of a shopping bag. "Did I throw it anywhere good?"

Aria chucks a pillow at him, which he bats away playfully. She goes on to explain how she found her bikini top under the bed, and they have a long, laughter-filled discussion on how the hell that could have happened when they were _in_ bed when it came off. They flirt like they haven't got a care in the world, as if they had made a silent agreement that, yes, they did have to face reality and go home today; but no, it didn't have to ruin the rest of their trip. Though there's a definite edge of sadness under her smiles, she seems to have believed him yesterday when he said he was going to take care of her.

All in all, it's one of the best mornings he's had in a long time.

He lets Aria take her time getting dressed. It's obvious she doesn't want to go. He even suspects from her red nose that she cried a little in the shower. But she's not complaining about having to leave, nor is she dragging her feet like yesterday, so he lets her indulge in a little time for herself. She's picked up a few clothing items here and there on their trip, collecting jewelry from second hand shops and other interesting bits whenever something catches her eye. After she picks out an outfit for the day, she packs her treasures away carefully and heads for the bathroom to get dressed.

When she emerges, her hair is curled for the first time all week. It frames her face perfectly and looks so touchable, Ezra wants to cross the room and slowly wrap one of those curls around his fingers, drawing her closer to him with every loop. She's taken her time with her makeup as well, though it's done with a light hand. He notices that her eyes are red and damp now as well. She's definitely been crying when he can't see.

Though she has far more interesting clothes in her bag, she's again chosen to dress down. She wears a pair of tight jeans with a plain white tank top over it. Plucking Ezra's blue shirt from yesterday off the bed, she lifts it to her nose. Apparently, it smells good because her eyes drift closed in pleasure and she slips the shirt over her head and onto her body a moment later. It's big on her tiny frame - so big that it droops off of one shoulder.

"Do you mind if I wear your shirt?" she asks, looking tiny and vulnerable as she stands there. "It smells like you."

This is Broken Aria. Most of her other layers have been stripped away - and underneath, she's soft, resigned, sweet, but a little sad. But as she clutches handfuls of his borrowed shirt up in her hands as if it brings her comfort, he sees real trust in her eyes. She's given up trying to do this on her own and has finally let him be her partner.

Smiling at her softly, he shakes his head in answer to her question. Of course he doesn't mind.

The mood lightens during breakfast and into the car. Ezra's nose is sunburned from their beach excursion yesterday, and Aria takes to teasing him about it. She talks and laughs and smiles and rolls down her window so that she can stretch her arms outside into the wind. She soaks up the sun eagerly, probably because she knows Rosewood will be just as cold as when they left it. There's no warm sunshine to be had there - yet.

Ezra is quiet but happy, the road stretched out endlessly before his eyes. He doesn't tell her, but he's also doing quite a bit of thinking. Because Aria has entrusted him with a huge secret - though what he's supposed to do about it is anyone's guess. He has a few ideas - one in particular that stands out above the rest - but it's drastic. He's glad the road home is long because he has some thinking to do. Decisions to make.

They make a pitstop around lunchtime for burgers and Cokes. There's a laundromat across the street, and they've made such good time during their morning drive, they decide to take an hour to wash their growing collection of dirty clothes. Aria sits on the dryer while Ezra rests his hip against it, leaning in close enough to kiss her when he feels like it. Which is often.

They play Scrabble on her phone, and they have to take their game to the car because the dryer beeps while Ezra's trying to land a triple point word.

Despite his best efforts and impressive vocabulary, Aria beats him by 7 points - and mocks him openly about it for a good hundred miles. The rematch during dinner is heated, full of taunting and attempts to distract each other with little kisses and bites down the neck. This time Ezra beats her by 32 points, and Aria's not so smug after that.

She's quiet after dinner, and he doesn't think it's the lost game that brought her down. There's a distinct hint of fear and worry behind her eyes as she stares out of the car windows into the night sky. Ezra's feeling a little worried himself. He glances nervously at his phone and wonders if he'll have the courage to do what he thinks he's going to have to do when they get home.

They stop for fuel at a busy truck stop sometime after midnight. He parks the car off to the side and only means to close his eyes for a second while Aria runs inside for a bottle of water. But when he wakes up, she's curled up in the seat with him, and the sky is growing light on the horizon. He realizes that they slept the entire night in the car. Not the most comfortable bed in the world, but as he studies the still-sleeping girl in his arms, he decides it wasn't the worst night he's ever had either. Not even close.

The windows are completely fogged up, giving them the privacy they need while they rest. He reaches out to stroke her hair back from her face, and though she stirs in her sleep, she doesn't wake up. Her body is warm and wonderfully heavy on his. He likes feeling her against him like that - likes being snuggled and warm when he's just waking up.

He also likes kissing his girlfriend.

He wakes her up like that slowly, with more determination and intent than he did the morning before. When she moans softly and parts her lips for him, he lets his tongue explore her mouth freely. By that time, she's awake enough to respond in kind. She sits up a little and moves her body so that she's straddling him in his seat, which is pushed back into a laying-down position. She tugs up his t-shirt and scrapes her nails lightly across the warm expanse of his stomach. He hisses against her mouth and kisses her harder, wondering how on earth she can seem so innocent and so sexy at the same time.

As if to confuse him further, she strips off her outer shirt and tosses it into the backseat. Though she's still got on her tank top, he's left with plenty of bare skin to explore while her mouth drops to the side of his neck.

Some shred of self-preservation in the back of his mind tells him to stop. Mostly because he's aroused. He hasn't even touched her anywhere that counts - but he's human and a male and it's morning and he's got a gorgeous, wriggling girl giving him a hickey beneath his left ear. It happens. But he isn't sure he wants her to know that, though from the way she's moving against him, how could she not know? It's the slightest hint of restraint he feels in her advances that help him speak up at last. She isn't ready for this anymore than he is.

All he has to say is, "Aria..." before she pulls away and sits back heavily in her own seat. She looks a little stunned as she smooths her hair in place and tugs up the strap of her tank top.

They sit there for a minute, panting and still half-asleep, until Aria finally speaks up. "I have to pee," she announces. Then, after looking vaguely humiliated that she had announced such a thing at all, she grabs her bag from the backseat and leaves the car in a hurry.

Ezra rubs his face with both hands and groans. After a moment's debate, he also gets out of the car. He cleans up in the truck stop bathroom, brushing his teeth and splashing cold water on his face. He uses yesterday's shirt to mop his face dry, then puts on one of the clean shirts they washed at the laundromat. As he stares in the mirror, he wonders what would be happening in the car right now if he hadn't said her name and broken the spell.

He buys them both a coffee inside the truck stop before heading back out to the car. Aria's sitting on the hood, waiting for him, with two coffees as well. Her hair is brushed and neat, and she's also changed shirts - again choosing one of his instead of something of her own. They exchange a nervous smile as he approaches. "Well," she says as she takes a sip from one of the four styrofoam cups. "At least we'll be well-caffeinated."

They're back on the road less than a minute later, but though they're talking, the nervous feeling hasn't faded. Ezra doesn't like it. "Hey," he says, putting his hand over hers. "I'm really sorry if I scared you. You know there's never any pressure here, right?"

Aria's smile is a little dazed but genuine. "You didn't scare me, Ezra. I was right there with you. That part, though - that scared me a little."

Ezra thinks he knows what she's talking about. "You mean, losing control?"

She swallows hard. After fiddling for a moment with her coffee lid, she says in a quiet voice, "We've never really talked about sex before."

He sighs and rubs his eyes again, wishing he was more awake. "No. I guess we haven't."

And he knows they probably should. At this point, it's the giant elephant in the room - or rather, in the backseat of the car - which neither of them have been brave enough to mention. But things have gotten hot and heavy between them fast on this trip. Maybe even too fast. It's a talk they can't put off any longer.

"Let me guess how this conversation will go," says Aria. "I'm too young. You're a teacher. I'm the student. You're an adult. I'm a minor. Hell and damnation. Pitchforks and pink slips. Yadda yadda yadda. Did I miss anything?"

Ezra smirks. "No, I think that pretty much covers it. Nice summary, by the way. Your English teacher would be proud."

"Thanks. It's not illegal, you know. I'm past the age of consent. I looked it up."

He's silent for a good minute before replying. "I know," he says at last, quietly. Because he's looked it up, too. Twice in fact, just to make sure he's read it right.

"So it's the teacher thing that's bothering you, then," says Aria, her eyebrow arching. "Not my age."

Ezra stares straight ahead at the road, feeling her eyes on him but not wanting to meet them. "Who said it's bothering me?"

Her eyes flicker over his face, reading the subtle nuances of his frown. "It bothers you. I can tell. To be honest, it would bother _me_ a little if it didn't. But I guess all I want to know is, do you even want to go there with me? I mean, if you weren't my teacher."

Ezra's frown deepens. Is she joking?

"Aria," he says, his tone a bit incredulous. "You do remember losing your bra on It's A Small World, right? Or the search for your bikini top yesterday morning? Trust me - there's a lot of _want_ going on in my head right now."

Aria settles back in her seat and wears a funny smile for the next half mile. Then after a sigh that sounds suspiciously satisfied, she says, "That, I definitely remember. But how is doing that stuff okay and doing other stuff not?"

"Because I'm not ready to take that step with you yet," he says. "I do want to go there with you one day, Aria. Just not right now. And even if you try to tell me otherwise, I know you're not ready either. I know you."

She grows quiet, and Ezra knows she's thinking of yesterday morning, when she didn't want him to see her naked and how she wrapped half of the bedding around her body to ensure that he didn't.

It's going to happen one day. He's relatively certain of that, barring any other untimely breakups. But though they're back together in a big way, it doesn't mean they're on stable ground yet. A week ago, they were barely speaking. Calling each other Mr. Fitz and Miss Montgomery. Arguing about essay grades instead of arguing about what the hell had happened to their relationship. Gravity pulled them back together. He just wants to make sure it doesn't force them apart again - or destroy them altogether. They need to get their feet back on solid ground, and not make physical commitments to each other when they've basically been living in a dreamworld for the last week.

"What, no argument?" he asks, somewhat surprised. "That's a first."

Aria shakes her head, her lips puckered slightly. "No argument. Just as long as you're not saying no forever."

Ezra's fingers find hers, and he squeezes them reassuringly. "No, Aria. Not forever."

* * *

To be continued.

A/N: I am so so very sorry about the delay in posting this. I basically got inspired to write the chapters following this one _before_ I finished this one. (Oops.) On the bright side, that means the story is pretty much done. New chapter updates should appear faster. :) Cheers!


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter Eight - Friday and Saturday Morning  
_

They make it home Friday afternoon.

Ezra pulls the car into Aria's driveway and cuts the engine - then they sit there in a sort of daze for a few long moments, uncertain what to do next. The world around them, though familiar, seems a little unreal. Almost like a caricature of itself. Rosewood isn't the big, bad place they've both been building up in their minds. Now that they're actually there, it's not so scary at all. Ezra's surprised to find he's even missed it.

"I can't believe we just drove to Florida and back," he says, still sitting there like a dolt.

Aria snickers, shaking her head in disbelief. "I can't believe it either. Do you wanna come inside? My parents aren't coming home until tomorrow morning. It might not be a good idea for you to sleep here, but I could, um..." She trails off and blushes.

Ezra unbuckles his seatbelt and says, "Of course you can stay over at my place. You know you're always welcome there. You don't even have to ask." His smile softens as he looks over at her. "You know, I've never seen your room before."

Her mouth spreads into a grin. "Well? Come on."

* * *

Aria leaves him alone in her bedroom while she takes a shower. Relaxing on her bed, he studies his surroundings with a sort of quiet reverence, like she's allowed him into her personal sanctuary.

Beside her bed, he spies the book he gave her with the inscription, _When you need to leave Rosewood. _ Seems a little ironic now.

Her room is mature but still girlish, a good representation of Aria herself - many different aspects coming together to create a single beautiful thing. She's layered fabrics and textures and patterns all around, and somehow it all comes together in the end to perfectly remind him of her. He feels at home there, much the same way he does when she's leaning against his shoulder, staring up at him with undeserved trust. He can't wait for the day when he's allowed to come into this room without fear of judgment.

Aria comes out of the bathroom, smiling and pretty. Her hair is curled, and her makeup compliments her natural beauty without masking it. She's layered an oversized tunic over a pair of patterned black tights, and wears a necklace he has to stare at for a good minute before he decides whether or not he likes it. As he watches her tug on a pair of high, black boots over socks printed with little owls, a smile spreads across his face. He can almost see her imagination dancing before her eyes. She looks alive, rosy-cheeked and rested - and her confidence seems to have returned with the familiarity of her surroundings. She's still a little uncertain maybe, but who's ever expected her to be perfect?

The sight of her makes his heart ache. He's seen many different versions of Aria on this trip - from playing dress up in costumes to trying to be invisible behind a carefully constructed mask. Part of him was worried he would never see the girl before him ever again.

This is _His Aria_. The real one. And he finally has her back.

"There you are," he says softly. "Haven't seen you in a while."

Aria lifts a speculative eyebrow. Her eyes and walk are flirtatious as she approaches the bed. "You feeling okay, Mr. Fitz? I've been with you all week."

Really though - she hasn't. Ezra doesn't respond to her question, but he's relatively certain she knows just as well as he does that she hasn't been herself for far longer than a week.

"Come here," he says, holding his hand out to her.

She takes it and he pulls her down onto the bed beside him. She stares up at him with love in her eyes, her hair splayed across the pillow, her lips parted and soft. Propped up on one elbow, he strokes her hair and cheek with the pads of his fingers. "I love you," he says, eyes locked with hers.

This seems important somehow - saying those words to her in her room. It's an affirmation of who she is, a declaration that he loves everything about her. She doesn't ever have to pretend to be anything she's not.

Not with him.

* * *

The walk to Ezra's apartment is bittersweet, especially since they can't walk together. He has to leave her house five minutes before she does just so that no one sees them together on the street.

They're back to hiding now. Back to his tiny studio apartment. It's frustrating to think about, when their love seems so much bigger than that one room could ever hold.

Ezra feels a bit sad when he lets Aria inside and watches her reacquaint herself with his shabby belongings. He doesn't want to tie her down to so little when she deserves so much. But she smiles adoringly at everything she sees, and he knows that she's accepted what he can offer her. Because for some insane reason he can't wrap his head around, she loves him for who he is, too.

Sleep is not a priority that night. They watch old movies on his tiny TV and munch on microwave popcorn until dinnertime. What little he had in his fridge last week has gone bad, so he gets Chinese takeout from their old favorite place. They have to eat on the floor with their legs crossed, shoulder to shoulder with their backs against the couch.

After he apologizes for the fifth time that his place is so small, Aria says, "_You're_ here. If I'm with you, I don't need anything else. Besides, we just spent the last week in an itty bitty car, remember? This place is a palace in comparison. So stop apologizing. I couldn't be happier."

Before he can reply, her cell phone chimes with a text message. As she reads it, Ezra can tell from the suddenly nauseated look on her face who it's from.

"Let me see," he says gently.

She puts the phone down beside her on the floor, out of his reach.

"Aria," he presses. "You said you'd let me help you handle this. You promised, in fact."

After a miserable sigh, she finally gives up and passes him the phone.

The text message from A seems almost childish to him now. Some bratty statement about Aria earning extra credit during Spring Break - and a veiled threat about a future parent/teacher conference. Aria's stalker has obviously noticed she's returned to town and can't wait to torment her about who she's been with.

Ezra's pissed. But though there's nothing he can do about it tonight, the text reminds him of the promise he made to Aria. "Just shake it off," he tells her, turning the screen of her phone off. "I'm handling it."

Her eyes are shining with tears. "How?"

He shrugs and reaches for another egg roll. "Wait and see. Come on, sweetheart. Don't let it ruin our night. Just trust me."

Though his voice sounds confident, in reality, he's scared out of his mind. But she doesn't need to know that. This is his problem now - not hers.

* * *

Ezra's staring at the ceiling when Aria wakes up the next morning. They're laying in his bed with the sheets pushed down to the bottom of the mattress. It's warmer outside today, a hint of springtime in the air that wasn't there when they left last Friday.

Aria slept in his button-down shirt, leaving Ezra in just a saggy pair of jeans. He watches her get out of bed and reach for her overnight bag. Turning just her head to make sure he's watching, she smirks and unbuttons the shirt, letting it fall to the ground. She's turned away from him, but that doesn't mean he doesn't enjoy the sight of her naked back and boy-shorts as she slips into her bra and clothes.

"Can I walk you home?" he asks, not wanting to let her go quite yet but knowing he has to.

She shakes her head. "My parents are already there. Mom just texted me, wondering where I was. I'll make something up."

After smoothing her clothes in place, she crawls onto the bed and settles her body down on top of his. One long, leisurely kiss later, she pulls back and says, "You're incredible, you know that? I used to be so insecure about your feelings for me. I would get jealous when other girls would talk to you, mostly because I didn't think I had anything to offer you. I still don't really get why you give me the time of day. But even if you'd never told me before that you love me, I really understand it now. You wouldn't have done all this for me otherwise, and I don't even know how to start thanking you for pulling me back to earth. I'll try to keep my craziness at bay from now on. Thank you, Ezra, for everything. I love you so much."

He feels an awful pang in his chest as he watches her leave. It's been a solid week since he's been out of her presence for any substantial period of time, and his apartment feels like a cold, miserable place without her there to warm it up. Gritting his teeth, he forces himself out of bed and into the bathroom, where he washes his face with ice cold water.

It takes an hour of mental preparation before he has enough courage to make the call. Even then, his hands are trembling a little as he dials Ella Montgomery's phone number.

"Hi, Mrs. Montgomery," he says when she picks up. "It's Ezra Fitz. I was wondering if you had some time to meet me for a cup of coffee or lunch. I, um..." He takes a deep breath and tries to calm his suddenly racing heart. "I need to talk to you about Aria."

* * *

To be continued.

A/N: Dun dun _duuuun_. (lol i'm such a dork - sorry)

Really though - I was very dissatisfied with the scene in the finale when Ezra finally visits Aria's room. He didn't even look around! So I rewrote it. Hoped you liked. :)


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter Nine - Sunday_

Ella Montgomery enters the coffee shop ten minutes late, wearing a tired frown and dark circles under her eyes.

To Ezra, it's the first nail in his coffin.

When she spots Ezra already seated at a table, her frown morphs into something resembling a smile. As she approaches, he swallows the enormous lump in his throat and wonders how long that smile will last. There's a reason he asked to meet her in a public place. Surely someone will intervene if she jumps across the table and lunges for his throat.

"H-hi, Mrs. Montgomery," he stammers, getting to his feet when she draws near. He thinks about pulling out her chair for her, but it seems like overkill. "Thanks for coming."

"How many times do I have to ask you to call me Ella?" she says. Her smile turns a shade dimmer as she looks at him, likely sensing his nervousness. Sitting down, she places her purse in a chair beside her and says, "So... this is unexpected. What's up that couldn't wait until Monday at school?"

Ezra's hand reaches to loosen his tie before he realizes he's not wearing one. "Um... Do you want to grab a coffee first? Or maybe something to eat?"

He's read that women are less likely to experience murderous rage when they've had a diet rich in protein. Perhaps he should have suggested they meet at a restaurant instead of a place that sells liquid stimulants.

Ella shakes her head. "Go ahead and tell me. You said on the phone this is about Aria, right? What's my little girl been up to?"

For a moment, Ezra thinks she knows. But of course, there's really no way she could. He lets out a slow breath and tries to remind himself why he's doing this. Namely, so that Aria can't be tormented about their relationship anymore. If it's out in the open, then there's nothing either of them have to hide. Of course, it might spell the end of their relationship - but that was a promise he never made to her. This is.

"Is she doing okay in your class?" Ella continues when he doesn't immediately speak up. "You look like you have bad news for me."

"I guess it depends on how you look at it," he says after a beat. He chuckles a little in his nervousness, but it's clear that Ella isn't following so he stops quickly. "Aria's doing fine in class. I guess I asked you to come here today because I want to make sure she stays 'fine' in other areas of her life. I've, um, come to care about her quite a bit."

He wets his lips and looks up at Ella, wishing she would just understand what he's trying to say without him having to actually say it. This is one of the hardest things he's ever done in his life.

"Ella, when I say I care about Aria ... oh, God, I think I'm going to throw up." Taking a deep breath, he practically squirms in his chair before he can muster up the courage to try again. "Sorry, I just need to get this out. But when I say I care about Aria, what I mean is that I would never want to see her hurt in any way. And that's why I'm sitting here in front of you, trying very ineloquently to explain this. I don't want to do anything that would hurt her. Ever."

Ella's staring at him now without blinking - a little like she suspects he's lost his mind. Maybe he has. "What exactly are you trying to tell me?" she asks, eyes narrowing.

Ezra rests his elbows on the table, his hands folded in front of him, and he takes another deep breath. Centers himself. Reminds himself why he's here. When he speaks again, his voice is clearer, calmer. This is the big plunge, and it's sink or swim.

"The truth is that I've developed feelings for Aria," he says. "Feelings that probably stretch beyond what most people might think of as appropriate. And maybe it isn't appropriate. Maybe it is hurting her, and I'm too blinded by those feelings to see it. So I'm bringing this issue to you, her mother, and I'm asking you what to do about it. Because I sure as hell don't know any more. I respect you and your opinions, and I respect Aria as well. Just please bear in mind my motives, which probably resemble yours more than you might think. I'm sitting here because I want what's best for her, and honesty seems to be the right thing to do."

Ella hasn't blinked once since he began speaking. She's frozen in a sort of blank stare that has no real emotion attached to it. No anger. No surprise. Nothing. It's almost as if she isn't fully understanding what he means. But eventually, in a tone devoid of any inflection, she asks, "Are you having sex with my daughter?"

Ezra's already shaking his head before she finishes the question, and he's very glad he can be honest about it. "No, I'm not. I swear to you."

Ella stares at him hard for a good minute, as if she's trying to figure out if he's lying or not. Apparently she decides he's telling her the truth because she changes her question. "Have you kissed her?"

He swallows hard before answering. "Yes."

It's a bit of an understatement, but since she didn't ask for details, he's certainly not volunteering them.

Ella's face is still unreadable. "And Aria shares these feelings of yours?"

"She's told me she does, yes."

"How did this all come about?"

"We, um..." Ezra trails off and takes a sip of water. His throat has gone dry with nervousness, but the words are coming easier now. Probably because he hasn't been mauled yet. "We met at a college bar before I started teaching, and I foolishly assumed that she was both in college and old enough to be in a bar. She didn't exactly volunteer that information until I saw her seated in my class on the first day of school. If I'd known, I would never have..." He sighs and breaks off. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I didn't plan this. I'm not some creep that sought out a minor or targeted her in any way. She was just a pretty girl I connected to once at a bar - then suddenly she was my student. It got confusing."

Ella's lips have pressed into a thin line, and Ezra isn't entirely sure what that means. "I take it Aria doesn't know you're here."

"Oh, no. She would probably kill me if she did. I'm sure you already know this about her, but she does this thing where she hides behind secrets because she's scared the truth will mess everything else up. But I don't want her living in fear like that. If something's wrong in her life, then light needs to be shed on it. The way I see it, me coming to you today is pretty much a win-win situation for her - even if I end up losing."

She stares at him for a while, and the longer she stares, the more time Ezra has to scan the coffee shop and memorize the exits. Who knows if he might have to make a run for it.

"Thank you for telling me," she finally says. The statement hangs there between them for a good while. She doesn't look happy with him, but she isn't brandishing a nail file at his throat either. "I'm sure that took a lot of courage."

Ezra lets out a long breath. "You have no idea."

"What are you asking me to do exactly? Give you permission to date her? You're still her teacher, Ezra."

"I know."

"And that's wrong."

He hangs his head. "I know. Really, I don't know what I'm asking for. Guidance, I guess. Because Aria and I have both tried doing the right thing and staying away from each other. I swear to you, Ella, we've spent far more time and energy trying to just be teacher and student than we have anything else. But it seems like every time we try, we come back to the fact that it doesn't _feel_ wrong to be together. I don't feel guilty about this. I honestly only see it when I look at it from an outside perspective. Maybe I should feel guilty, but I know where my head is at in regards to her. I know that I'm not some creep who goes after younger girls. I would never want to do anything that would hurt her. I need you to understand that."

Ella stares at him hard. "And what happens if I ask you to stay away from her?"

"Then I stay away." The words physically hurt him to say, but he shrugs - because there's really no other answer to give.

"You would do that?"

"If you told me she's better off without me in her life? It would just about kill me. But yeah, I would. I don't think I could honestly say I care about her otherwise."

There's another long moment of silence, but at the end of it, Ella sighs and reaches for her purse. She gets to her feet and says, "Walk with me."

"Yes, ma'am," he says, immediately getting to his feet as well.

She's already half-way out the door when she calls back in a terse voice, "Don't call me ma'am."

* * *

To be continued.

A/N: The next chapter is done and ready to post. I just split it in two because I'm mean and like a good cliffhanger. :)


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter Ten - Sunday con't_

If Ezra learns anything that day, it's that Ella Montgomery walks very fast when she's thinking. He can almost see the wheels spinning in her head, the different emotions that flit across her eyes. She's not happy - that much is obvious - but he has to hope for the best. Part of him wishes she would let him in on a few of those thoughts, but he keeps his mouth shut.

He can tell from the path she chooses that she's taking him to the Montgomery home, and he isn't really sure what he thinks about that. Aria is there, he knows - but he isn't certain about Byron, of whom he's considerably more frightened than Ella.

The house is quiet when they arrive, little dust motes floating in the airy, sunlit rooms. He's never been there in daylight before, and he almost doesn't want to step past the threshold, feeling like he's a stranger intruding on the peace of the household. When Ella bids him to come inside, he complies - but stands awkwardly in the foyer, uncertain what's about to happen.

Ella takes off her jacket and calls up the stairs. "Aria, come down please. I need to talk to you."

There's a soft rustle of activity from Aria's room. Ezra watches in grim silence as she descends the staircase, dressed in a tank top and pajama bottoms with her hair in an untidy bun. She freezes in place when she spots him, her eyes wide, her lips parted in surprise. "What are you doing here?" she mouths to him so that her mother won't hear.

Ezra smiles weakly in reply. He can tell from her appearance that she's had a rough night, which likely had a lot to do with the text she sent him last night stating that her parents had decided after their vacation that divorce was the right option for them. She's understandably torn up about it, and he can only hope he hasn't made things impossibly worse by going to her mother.

She has dark circles under her eyes like she hasn't slept. They match his, as he's found he can't rest very well without her in bed with him. Though he's only been out of her company for a little more than a day, he misses her terribly - wants to pull her in for a hug, bury his face in her hair, and seek to comfort her about her parents or whatever else is making her look so sad. Her mother interrupts him before he can do anything at all.

"You know I had a crush on an English teacher once," says Ella as she drops her keys on the side table. "Then I married him, and after I gave him decades of my life and bore him two beautiful children, he cheated on me with one of his students."

Ezra is convinced this is the part of the story where he dies. But he stands his ground and waits.

"Of course, he was never very honest, and he liked to hide things from me," says Ella. "He even asked my daughter to lie for him so he wouldn't get in trouble. I'm glad not everyone is like that. Honesty means a lot to me for obvious reasons, and I really am trying not to let my own jadedness blind me here."

She moves into the dining room, and Ezra and Aria exchange a look. "What's going on?" Aria whispers. Not waiting for a reply, she pushes past him and follows her mother. Ezra has no choice but to file in after her. He doesn't want to allow himself to hope, but Ella's words about honesty keep repeating in his head. No matter what else happens, he feels good about going to her with the truth. It's such a heavy weight off of his heart and mind.

Ella drops her purse on the coffee table hard, like a judge bringing down a gavel. "It's like this, kids," she says. "I can handle the age difference. But Ezra is still your teacher, Aria."

The color slowly fades from Aria's face. She looks like she's been punched in the stomach. "Mom..."

"I'm not finished," says Ella, holding up a finger. "He's still your teacher until summer break - which if I'm not mistaken, is about a month and a half from now. Ezra, you're welcome in our house until then. You can hang out with Aria if her family is there. I know I would personally like to get to know you better, especially now, given the circumstances. After the school year is up, then you have my permission to take her out alone. Not before. And if you're truly serious about my daughter, then you need to think about finding a new job. Because once fall rolls around, we're going to be having this same conversation all over again, and I don't like repeating myself. Are we clear?"

Ezra's eyes are enormous as he nods. This is far more than he ever could have hoped for. Worst case scenario in his mind was death - or at least losing any hope of being with Aria until she turned eighteen. But this ... this is just a month and a half away. That's nothing. "We're clear. Crystal. Thank you, Ella, for understanding and not ... well, destroying me."

"Oh, trust me. I'm watching you, Fitz." Ella's voice is stern, but she smiles a little after she's done speaking. He can tell she realizes just how much he's put on the line by coming to her - namely his career and good name. Not to mention the girl he's in love with.

It takes Aria longer than Ezra for everything to soak in. This makes sense, of course, because she wasn't present when he made his case to her mother.

"I don't understand," she says. She looks terrified standing there, as if having her secrets revealed is the worst thing that could ever happen to her. Ezra frowns as he watches, understanding fully for the first time how much this has really tormented her. "You're not angry?"

"I'm disappointed you didn't think you could tell me yourself," Ella says. "Aria, why didn't you think you could come to me?"

"I was scared," Aria replies. She's trembling as she stands there, and though Ezra wants to soothe her, he stays where he's at. "I wanted to protect him. Everyone would say we were wrong, but it doesn't _feel_ wrong. He's such a good person, mom, and no one would take the time to see that if he got in trouble because of me. And it's not just that. With how crazy things have been at home, I didn't want to make all of it worse. Like with dad and his affair. I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid of messing everything up."

"And that ended well, didn't it?" says Ella.

Aria's face falls and she looks at the ground briefly. "I'm sorry. Really, mom. I just got scared."

Ella's face softens. "No more hiding things, Aria. I mean it. I guarantee you, it always ends up a million times worse if you don't tell someone. Take you and Ezra for instance. If I had found out about this on my own? Hell fire would have been kinder to you both." Her eyes lock briefly with Ezra's, and he feels the bottom of his stomach drop to the ground. "Still, let's keep this from your father for a little while longer, okay? He does need to know, but things are a little tense right now. I'll warm him up to it before we tell him."

Aria nods in enthusiastic agreement, and Ezra can certainly understand why. The thought of Byron knowing Aria has been kissing her English teacher fills him with absolute dread. That's a fight for another day.

"Ezra, I'm making sandwiches for lunch. You're welcome to stay and eat with us," says Ella. She smirks a little when she glances at Aria's dazed expression. "That's of course if you still want to stick around after Aria's done yelling at you. Have fun with that. I'll be in the kitchen when you two are done."

Aria does look a little angry - mostly surprised, but there's a hint of betrayal there as well. "I cannot believe you," she says slowly once they're alone, drawing each word out. "_You told my mom?_ Were you the coffee date she mentioned earlier?"

"I was," Ezra admits. "We didn't exactly get around to the coffee. Mostly I just babbled and hoped it wasn't going to be my last day on earth."

"Did you ask her there so that you could tell her about us? Behind my back?"

Ezra shrugs. He didn't like hiding things from her, but it wasn't as if that was a new element in their relationship. They both have their secrets. "You would have stopped me if I told you what I was going to do. And look, everything's turned out okay."

"Yeah, still reeling a bit over that. Why did you do it, though? This is kind of out of the blue."

"Not really. Aria, you had to drag me to Disney Land to be far enough away from home to feel safe enough to share what's been going on in your head. This has to stop. I made a promise to you, and this is me trying to keep it. Your little stalker friend uses secrets to control people. I just decided to take one of those secrets away from her. She can't hurt you if she doesn't have anything on you."

"And what if my mom had freaked out? We could have been over for good."

"Aria, you're going to turn eighteen one day. Do you think I wouldn't wait for you if your parents said no? Just because your mom might have disapproved doesn't mean we're doomed forever. It was a gamble I was willing to take."

She grows still as she stares up at him, her eyes shining but sad. "You would wait for me?" she whispers, as if speaking any louder might make her cry.

A soft smile spreads across Ezra's face, and he reaches out to stroke Aria's cheek with his knuckles. "Told you I loved you, didn't I? I don't say that to just anyone."

His words bring a touch of a smile to her lips as well, but it's short-lived. "But a month and a half? That's..."

"Not that long," Ezra finishes for her.

The pained look on her face tells him that to her, it's forever.

"We can still see each other every day at school," he says, tucking her hair behind her ear and hoping to God Ella isn't spying on them. Even with permission, it's tempting to want to hide. "There's nothing wrong with that. And you heard your mom - I can come visit you here."

"Yeah, with them in the same room. I'll never see you alone."

Ezra shrugs. "It's temporary - and if you ask me, worth the wait. It'll be nice not to hide anymore. Or feel guilty - even when I really don't."

Aria grows quiet, and she finally nods. She lets out a shaky breath and says, "That will be nice. I guess I'm being selfish. It's just that I've spent almost every moment of the last week with you. I miss you."

"I'm right here," he says, drawing a step closer. "If you want to let me in."

Their foreheads come together at the same time they grasp hands. He can still see a multitude of thoughts and fears flashing across Aria's eyes, but eventually she just looks at him and smiles. "Will you stay?"

As he follows her into the kitchen, where Ella is laying out bread and sandwich meat, he tells her what a silly question that is.

They're going to be fine.

* * *

The end.

A/N: Thanks for reading!


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